Losses won’t define China Adventure
China trip ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ shot despite back-to-back defeats, writes
BEIJING The snapshots will be framed.
The scores will be forgotten. The Calgary Flames capped their excursion to the 2018 O.R.G. China Games with a second straight loss to the Boston Bruins — this time, a 3-1 defeat at Cadillac Arena in Beijing — but when they’re someday telling stories to their grandkids, they won’t be groaning about Jake DeBrusk’s go-ahead goal in Wednesday’s final stanza or grousing about their failure to cash in on a couple of late powerplay opportunities as they tried totieitup.
“Obviously, this was a once-ina-lifetime trip. I mean, you never think you’re going to play in the NHL and go to China with the group of guys on your team,” said alternate captain Sean Monahan, the lone marksman for the Flames. “So that’s pretty special. I got to see some unique things. The Great Wall of China, we were able to go there and experience that, and that’s a memory that will probably last forever.
“I got some good pictures and they’ll probably be framed around my house at some point.”
Wednesday’s game details will not be similarly displayed. They will be simply dismissed. This is, remember, just exhibition action.
DeBrusk potted a pair for the Bruins, finding daylight on Mike Smith’s blocker side early on and then, after missing a chunk of action due to a stomach bug, scoring the eventual winner in the third as the Flames’ masked man scrambled to reset after being pickpocketed on the forecheck.
Smith was turned around when Bruins up-and-comer Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson fed DeBrusk — the left-winger also sniped the shootout winner in Saturday’s 4-3 showdown in Shenzhen — for a quick finish at the right post.
Kevan Miller added an emptynetter as the boys from Beantown completed a sweep of this pre-season set, the NHL’s second grow-the-game getaway to China.
Calgary’s only goal celebration in Beijing came on a buzzerbeater by Monahan with 2.8 ticks remaining before the second intermission.
After serving a two-minute banishment for interference, Monahan stepped out of the sin bin, accepted a breakaway pass from penalty killer Mark Jankowski and then roofed a shot as Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask lunged for a poke-check.
“We practised hard and long (Tuesday). I thought that was more important than getting ready for the game, in essence,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters after Wednesday’s loss. “We got some work done and then obviously we can look at the two games and we know we have lots of work left to do.
“Now dig in when we get home.” There you have it. Blame the coach! No, don’t.
Glen Gulutzan, the previous skipper at the Saddledome, was fired after the Flames flopped last season.
Ex of the Carolina Hurricanes, Peters will need some time to put his stamp on his squad. Three practices, two games and one morning skate won’t quite do it.
“I think guys are picking up the system,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano. “Obviously, there are going to be some mistakes. There is going to be some overthinking in areas. But it’s going to become natural and it’s going to become second nature in the way we play. And then we go from there.”
From Beijing, the Flames were bused to the airport in Tianjin for an 11-hour flight back to Calgary.
Once home, the regulars were ordered to stay away from the rink for two days to rest and recuperate.
When they reassemble Saturday, you can bet there will plenty of cracks and chatter about this trip of a lifetime.
By then, they might have already blanked on Wednesday’s final score.
“It was a cool experience. It was a unique experience,” said Flames free-agent acquisition Austin Czarnik. “I think it was good for all the new guys and I think we’ve grown as a team. Obviously, on ice, you still need some work. But I think you start to know who everybody is, what type of player they are, what their personality is, how they work, stuff like that … that helps, but you still need some time.”
Time will tick a little faster now.
The Flames open their regularseason slate with an Oct. 3 visit to Vancouver.
“Going into a third period, with the team I think that we have right now, when it’s 1-1, we should be able to come out with (a victory),” Monahan said. “Right now, there is some stuff we need to work on. Special teams is one of them.
“We need to get back to Calgary, get back to work and work on those things that we didn’t execute here in China.”
ICE CHIPS: Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk sat out Wednesday’s contest due to a minor injury, but he is not expected to miss any additional action.
The Great Wall of China, we were able to go there ..., and that’s a memory that will probably last forever.